


The Mechanist

by Judopixie



Series: Abnormality [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Bullying, Gen, Hogwarts Inter-House Friendships, Hogwarts Second Year, Major Character Injury, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Canon, Robots, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:02:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25735477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Judopixie/pseuds/Judopixie
Summary: The Base comes back for their second year. After the ending of their first year, things can't go much worse. Right.
Series: Abnormality [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1866847
Kudos: 2





	1. The Phantom Limb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Published as a present for Martha, summary will probably change at some point.

Chapter 1

The Phantom Limb

It was strange, feeling something that wasn’t there. Vadim could have sworn that he felt the sheets pressing down on his forearm, there were even sharp aches and twinges in the muscles and the joints that weren’t there.

In the silence of his ward, he had a lot of time to think about all the things that weren’t there. Like his friends. Everyone had written, he had a drawer full of letters, and a bedside table of sweets and fruit and a book from Sennon, but none of them had visited yet. For the first few days, he hadn’t had the strength to really notice it. His parents had been the only ones allowed in, and his memories were faint. When he was declared out of life threatening danger, Professor Dumbledore had visited too. He’d told him how brave he’d been, that Marina and the others were safe and he was sure they’d visit as soon as they were allowed.

His parents had remained a steady fixture, but after a certain amount of fussing and plumping already perfectly plump pillows he’d lost his temper and snapped at them. They hadn’t visited in a week.

The other children avoided Vadim like he was infectious. He saw more than one staring at his stump when he reached for things, forgetting that his arm wasn’t there anymore. They whispered about him, he heard them start when he went to the toilet or to have a bath and hurriedly stop when he came back.

“Good morning Vadim,” Nurse Crane said.

She was a plump young witch, with auburn hair wound into a neat bun beneath her cap, who always took care of their breakfasts and keeping them occupied until a Healer came on the morning rounds.

“Morning Nurse Crane,” Vadim said, trying to keep the glumness out of his voice.

“How are you feeling today?” Nurse Crane asked, flicking the curtains shut.

“It was twinging again,” Vadim said. “And my hand was itching.”

Nurse Crane’s eyes looked sympathetic, and she sat in the chair next to him. “It will fade, sweetheart,” she said softly. “It’s terrible now, but as you get used to it they’ll get less frequent.”

“It hasn’t faded yet, has it?” Vadim snapped.

Nurse Crane’s expression didn’t change and Vadim’s anger faded as quickly as it had come. He licked his lips and looked back to Nurse Crane. “I’m sorry, I know you were trying to help.”

“It’s ok pet,” she replied, patting his shoulder. “You’ve been through a lot, it’s ok to be angry, or frustrated, it’s natural.”

Vadim smiled faintly, pulling his arm above the covers so Nurse Crane could examine his elbow. It was hyper sensitive when she touched it, and as gentle as the massage was it was still uncomfortable.

“How’s your writing coming along?” she asked him.

He shifted away and dumped his latest attempts on the bed in front of her. The writing was scrawly, blurred and shaky. His left hand was covered in ink of various colours where he’d smudged his writing as he went.

She picked the top one up, and compared it to the sheet directly below it.

“It’s getting a lot better,” she said, smiling. “It’s legible at least.”

“I liked my hand writing perfectly well before,” Vadim said sulkily. He winced when Nurse Crane went back to massaging his arm. “Why do we need to do this anyway?”

“So that the skin gets less sensitive,” she replied patiently. “Then you can have your prosthetic, and it won’t hurt to wear.”

Her mention of the prosthetic returned Vadim’s mind to the Healer’s rounds today. He’d been promised the Healer would tell him when he could get fitted for his prosthetic, and his parents had promised to be there for it.

“Tell me again why they couldn’t just have regrown my arm? My uncle Illya had it.”

“Because even if we regrew your bones there’s no way of regrowing skin, nerves and muscle fibres.”

Vadim went back to pouting in lieu of giving a reply. Nurse Crane finished massaging his arm and looked pointedly at the ink and quill on his bedside table. She set the tray table over his bed, and handed him some fresh parchment.

“Carry on your practice,” she said firmly. “You’re doing really well.”

Vadim rolled his eyes but sat up anyway. Out of instinct he reached for the quill with his right hand, but he only succeeded in startling the skin on the cold wooden tray. Nurse Crane pulled the cork out of the ink bottle, which Vadim struggled to do without using his teeth, and set it on his table.

“Healer will be around soon,” she said as she pealed back the curtain. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sleep well, Nurse,” Vadim said.

He picked up the quill and shakily dipped it into the ink. After a week he’d managed to stop tearing the paper with the quill, and managed to control the amount of ink he picked up, but his left shoulder and wrist were aching from all the extra work they were having to do.

Vadim lost himself in the alphabet, writing slowly but steadily in both Cyrillic and in Latin so he wouldn’t end up being unable to write in one language. He didn’t fancy explaining to Uncle Nikolai why he wasn’t writing in Russian.

“Vadim?” A soft voice interrupted his reverie.

Looking up he saw his mum and dad smiling down at him.

“Mum!” He cried, wriggling out from the tray table and hugging them both.

“Your writing is coming along very well,” Mr Muntagirov said, picking up Vadim’s work.

“Hopefully I won’t need it when I get the prosthetic,” Vadim said. “I can just go back to my right hand.”

Mr and Mrs Muntagirov shared a look, but Vadim didn’t have time to process it before Healer Scout entered the ward.

“Good morning everyone!” He called, sweeping next to Vadim’s bed and flicking the curtain shut again.

Healer Scout was a very tall, very broad man with salt and pepper hair and sharp grey eyes. Despite his appearance, he was one of the most tender Healer’s Vadim had met, always gentle and understanding, and never too busy to talk.

“How are you feeling today, Vadim?”

“Not bad,” Vadim said, sitting back on the bed. “When can I get my arm?”

Healer Scout didn’t look surprised at being asked so directly, maybe he got it a lot. But his face grew sympathetic, and Vadim felt dread ball inside him.

“It will take some time,” Healer Scout said gently. “You’re still growing, Vadim, that presents us with a problem.”

Vadim blanked out most of the rest of what Healer Scout said. There was something about needing replacement limbs, which would be difficult and tedious for him, and how they would not be looking to fit him for his final prosthetic until he was fully grown. Then something about a temporary prosthetic next year, but them not recommending it before the end of next year because it would take time to get used to.

Mrs Muntagirova was talking about possibly delaying his return to school but Vadim had already buried his head in his pillow to stifle his sobs.


	2. The Little Grey Cat

Chapter 2

The Little Grey Cat

When Mrs Vallas had described St Mungo’s to Sennon, she’d expected a large snowy white building with everything slightly off centre, much like Gringotts. In reality, the exterior resembled was that of a closed down department store. One half of the shop was badly fire damaged, and the other was boarded up and run down. They’d spoken to a shop mannequin that stared sinisterly from behind the broken glass, then stepped through a broken window on the left hand side and emerged into a dingy reception area, with a harried looking wizard fussing behind it.

Mrs Vallas’ emerald green robes swept around her as she led Sennon, Celeste and Genevieve up the dark wooden stairs to the fourth floor. The ground and first floors were both bright, airy and well lit, the second and third were less welcoming, but they were still well kept. The fourth floor, however, was dingy, and looked as though it was some time since anyone had taken care of it. It was still scrupulously clean, but it felt sadder than the rest.

Vadim’s bed was at the far end of the children’s ward, and the other children stared unashamedly as they walked past.

“Vadim!” Celeste called, already running down the hall towards him.

He looked up at them and his face broke into a big smile. Celeste threw herself into his arms and the other two girls hurried after her, the four of them forming into a big group hug.

“I’m so happy to see you guys!” Vadim said into the group. “It’s so quiet here.”

“We’ve missed you so much!” Celeste said.

“Yeah, it’s weird without you,” Sennon added.

Vadim hugged them tighter, and before long they were laughing. But when they stepped back, Sennon noticed that Vadim’s eyes were red and swollen despite the smile on his face.

“Mrs Vallas!” Vadim smiled, hugging her.

“You alright, darling?” She smiled, Pegasi reaching out and clumsily patting his head. “What’s it like in here?”

“It’s ok,” Vadim said, going back to sitting on his bed. “Katia and Jacob came by yesterday, and Marina said she’s coming next week when she gets back from Portugal.”

Sennon’s eye was caught by the parchment on the desk. When Vadim caught her looking he blushed, and nervously pushed the paper towards her.

“I’m trying to write with my left hand,” he said, shyly “But it’s not going very well.”

Sennon looked at the smudged letters, smiling bitterly as she remembered trying to learn to write in ink without smearing.

“It’ll get easier,” she said gently. “My notes from the start of the year are so messy I had to rewrite a lot of them.”

“Maybe you could try a pencil?” Celeste added. “I’m sure there’s even one that looks like a quill.”

“I know, it’s just annoying,” Vadim said. “My left hand is so shaky, I liked my handwriting before.”

Genevieve smiled at him, “you’ll probably get it back again when you get the prosthetic, it won’t take too long to master it.”

And then they all stared in horror and confusion as Vadim burst into tears.

***

It took a long time before Vadim told them what had happened with the Healer, how it would take him at least a year before he got his prosthetic and he’d have to go back without one. Genevieve went very quiet as the story unfolded, curling in on herself.

Celeste and Sennon spent a lot of that time either hugging Vadim or just talking soothingly to him. By the time they’d unravelled the full story, that Mrs Muntagirova wanted Vadim to stay back a year and they were waiting for Hogwarts to tell them whether that was even possible and Vadim didn’t want to skip but also didn’t want to go back with no right arm and what on earth were they going to do, visiting hours were over and they were politely but firmly shooed out by the Healer-in-Charge.

“What are we going to do?” Celeste asked as they stepped back out into the street outside. “Vadim’s mum can’t keep him back a year, he’d get bullied even worse.”

“You’re going to support him.” Mrs Vallas said, shooing the girls down a side street and gesturing at them to hold tightly to her arm.

The next moment it felt as though Sennon was being shoved into a very tight, very dark box for what felt like forever, and the moment after that they emerged into the bright grounds of the Vallas’ house.

“Whatever Vadim ends up doing,” Mrs Vallas continued as though nothing had happened. “You’re all going to be there for him, and if that means letting him copy your notes later because he’s struggling to write, or writing everyday because he’s staying here for a year then that’s what you’re going to do.”

Surrounded by high walls and a ward that made it look like a ramshackle old church, the house was remarkably sheltered from the main road that ran close by. The stone of the walls was a pale golden grey, and the sharply sloping slate rooves were a dark grey. Dark green ivy climbed around, and in some cases over, the gothic arches of the windows and the matching arch of the heavy ebony door gave the overall impression of a church as much as it did a house.

Mrs Vallas knocked on the door first, before opening it and stepping into the hall. Here, another ward kept the entire house a cool but comfortable temperature, in contrast to the Indian summer outside.

Floating down the staircase was James, the butler. Mrs Vallas crossed her right arm over her chest and bowed slightly, the girls did the same, and James mirrored the gesture.

“Good afternoon, James,” Mrs Vallas said cheerfully. “Anything interesting happen while we were gone?”

“Nothing ma’am,” James said, his voice deep and booming, a faint Jamaican accent still there even after so long. “How was Master Muntagirov?”

As James and Mrs Vallas chatted, Sennon smiled at the discrepancy between James’ cool, cheerful accent and his overly formal, almost stuffy diction. James had been the butler for decades, had travelled with the family when they’d sailed from Jamaica; and when he’d fallen ill and died from severe influenza, he’d continued to serve their descendants as a ghost.

The girl’s left Mrs Vallas updating James on how Vadim had been, and trekked into the kitchen. From the shadow of the stove there was a loud meow, and a pair of golden eyes peered out from the darkness. The family cat, Cassandra, had just had kittens, and the little black fluffballs were managing to get everywhere. Best of all, Mrs Vallas had even agreed to let Celeste take one to Hogwarts; the oldest of the litter, a sleek, night black kitten who the girls had named Sootica.

“What are you doing in there?” Sennon said soothingly, holding out a hand to the kitten in the shadows.

A tiny paw peaked out from the darkness. Then another, and an ear tip, and finally most of the head. The kitten that crept out was the smallest of the litter, her coat lighter than that of her sisters, a grey tabby rather than the pure coal black of the others.

“Come on then little one,” Sennon cooed, holding out a hand to the kitten, who curled into her palm and happily purred against her chest.

The girls settled around the dark, scratched wooden table and Celeste retrieved three bottles of pumpkin juice from the ice cabinet, which didn’t actually contain any ice but was kept below room temperature by the same wards that kept the house cooler than outside. Sootica leapt onto the table, winding around the bottles. The kitten in Sennon’s arms wriggled free and joined her sister on the table.

“Do you think Vadim will be able to come back this year?” Sennon asked.

“Probably,” Celeste replied. “It all depends on Mrs Muntagirova vs Professor Dumbledore.”

“Not sure I’d want to be Dumbledore, if I’m honest.”

“Me neither, and don’t even get me started on Vadim’s grandma, she’s terrifying.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, in the way that only tiny stooped old ladies can be.”

Sennon snorted, and looked over at Genevieve. The girl hadn’t said a word since they left the hospital, and she was staring into middle distance in the general direction of her pumpkin juice.

“Genevieve?” Sennon said softly. She reached over and took her friend’s hand. “Genevieve!”

Genevieve jumped and looked back at them.

“Sorry,” she said. “Lost in my own world.”

Celeste smiled sadly. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah,” Genevieve replied. “I’m just thinking about the hospital, me and my big mouth.”

“Hey,” Celeste said gently, sliding an arm around her shoulders. “You weren’t to know. It’s a shitty situation, but Vadim’s a tough cookie, he’ll be ok. And he won’t be mad at you either.”

“I know, but… I mean, first Jacob, now this, I keep making people angry.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Sennon said firmly. “And Jacob… That’s over now, you’ve made up, and he’s not mad either.”

“I just don’t want to keep pushing people away.”

“You won’t.”

The click of heels on the flagstone floor alerted them to Mrs Vallas’ presence.

“Post girls,” she said, handing them each a letter. “Looks like your letters from Hogwarts.”

Celeste tossed Sennon’s across the table at her, opening her own and giving the envelope to Sootica to play with.

_Sennon Cove_

_The Rose Bedroom_

_Vallas House_

_Oxfordshire_

Sennon smirked at the description of ‘The Rose Bedroom’, because the bedroom she was staying in did indeed have a rose quilt on the bed, but no other roses anywhere to be found in the room.

“The Daisy Bedroom?” Genevieve said, slightly indignant. “It has daisies on the curtains, that’s it!”

“Be grateful,” Mrs Vallas said, popping Pegasi into her high chair. “Mine said the messiest bedroom, my mother was not pleased.”

“MESSY! MESSY!” Pegasi chanted cheerfully.

Sennon stifled a giggle and flicked open the reading list for the next year’s lessons. It was considerably shorter than last year’s list, only containing three items; _The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 2_ , _Post Beginner’s Transfiguration_ and _The Dark Arts: Formation, History and Protection_.

“Reading list seems quite short doesn’t it?” Sennon said.

Celeste rolled her eyes, “you would say that,” she said, but she was smiling too. “Do you think we should get together, before we go back to school? We could go and get our stuff together.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Sennon replied. “Maybe when Marina’s back?”

“Yeah, wouldn’t be the same without Marina.”

“Have you packed your stuff, Sennon?” Mrs Vallas asked, interrupting the girls’ planning session.

“Not yet Mrs Vallas,” Sennon replied.

“Go and do it now,” Mrs Vallas said firmly. “You don’t want to hold your parents up after dinner.”

“We’ll help,” Celeste said, jumping up.

Mrs Vallas rolled her eyes, knowing they probably wouldn’t actually get anything done, but waved them upstairs anyway.

As she stood up, Sennon felt a tug on her sleeve. Two small, grey paws clung insistently to her top. The kitten meowed indignantly, and hopped onto Sennon’s arm.

“Come on then little one,” she said softly, scooping the little grey fluffball properly into her arms.

When the three girls reached Sennon’s room, she popped the tiny kitten on the bed and flopped down on the floor next to her unpacked trunk.

“Mariana gets back next week, right?” Sennon asked.

“Yeah,” Celeste replied, joining her on the floor. “Wednesday.”

“And when is Vadim being discharged?”

“Next week some time I think. He said he’d send an owl.”

Sennon scrambled over to her trunk and pulled out her quill, ink and parchment, and set them out on the floor. At that moment, a barn owl flew in through the open window, and dropped a letter on Celeste’s lap. The little kitten pawed at the owl’s tallons, and Eyas gave her a sharp hoot, at which the kitten slunk back and nudged against Eyas.

Celeste flicked open the letter and quickly glanced over the contents.

“It’s from Katia,” she said, handing Genevieve the letter to read. “She said exactly what we just said, about meeting up.”

“Great minds think alike,” Sennon said, passing Celeste a piece of parchment and a spare quill. “I’ll do Jacob and Marina, you reply to Katia and ask Vadim if he wants to come too.”

“Might I recommend,” said a deep voice, making all of them jump. “That you finish your packing, Miss Sennon, before Madam Vaneka comes to check you’ve done it?”

James appeared through the wall, and Sennon’s cheeks flushed under his questioning gaze.

“Sorry James,” she said. “I’ll do it now.”

The ghost smiled a warm, wide smile. “I thought you might.”

***

Mr and Mrs Cove arrived at 7 o’clock, and Mrs Cove immediately drew the girls into a big hug.

“How’s Vadim doing?” Mr Cove asked as they sat around the table for dinner.

“He’s…” Sennon trailed off, unsure of how to continue. “He’s bearing up, I think.”

“Poor boy,” Mrs Cove said. “Do you know when he can go home, Vaneka?”

“Next week,” Mrs Vallas replied. “That’s what the nurses were saying anyway.”

“We’re going to meet up,” Sennon said. “So we can get our books together, and have a chance to meet up before we go.”

“That sounds like a fabulous idea,” Mrs Cove said. “When?”

“Well, we’re not sure yet, Marina’s still in Portugal.”

“We’re waiting for letters,” Celeste added.

“I can always take Sennon if you’re busy,” Mrs Vallas said. “I’ll tell your mum that too Genevieve.”

As the adults carried on chatting about logistics, Sennon felt a tug on her leg, and the little grey kitten hopped onto her lap.

“She likes you doesn’t she?” Mrs Vallas said.

“I think she must,” Sennon replied. The cat hopped onto the table, stole a piece of Sennon’s chicken, then back onto her lap again.

“I think you might be taking two cats back to Hogwarts girls,” Mr Cove laughed.

“Yes,” Mrs Vallas said slowly. “Yes, I think they might.”


	3. The Feathered Pencil

Chapter 3

The Feathered Pencil

A week and a half later, outside Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour, Sennon and Genevieve were being introduced to wizarding ice cream by Celeste and Katia, while Mrs Vallas watched Pegasi feed herself ice cream, most of which went around her mouth.

“Fizzy peach is the best!” Katia insisted.

“Don’t be thick, you know it’s exploding cherry.”

Genevieve and Sennon just watched them, laughing when Celeste’s sundae popped violently, making her jump.

“You’re both wrong,” said a voice behind them. “Cleaning mint is the best, no arguments.”

The four girls turned around to a familiar sandy blonde figure behind them.

“VADIM!”

They ran at him, all wrapping him in one big bear hug.

“We’re so glad you could come!” Katia said, hugging him tightly.

A small woman with dark blonde hair bustled through the girls.

“Varobushek,” she said. “Take care of your arm, don’t strain yourself.”

Vadim extracted himself from the girls and took her by the arm, gesticulating as he spoke. Sennon frowned as Mrs Muntagirova continued to gesture to Vadim’s stump, pushing his sleeve back up. She jumped at a hand on her shoulders.

“Leave them be love,” Mrs Vallas said. “Come and eat your ice cream.”

Sennon let herself be lead back to the table, and soon enough Vadim came back to the table.

“You can make sure he’s back by five o’clock, can’t you Vaneka?” Mrs Muntagirova asked Mrs Vallas. “I can stay if you need me to, Vadim.”

“They’ll be alright, Kira,” Mrs Vallas said. “I’ll get him home.”

“I don’t like him alone, not so soon.”

“I’ll just be in the Leaky Cauldron, don’t worry.”

“Go to work, Mama, I’m fine.”

Mrs Muntagirova looked unsure, but just then Marina appeared down the alley and when the ensuing group hug was over, she was gone. Mrs Vallas came back and picked up her handbag, giving them all a kiss on the cheek.

“Alright, I’ll leave you lot to your own devices. Stick together, no wandering off down weird alleys, back at the Leaky Cauldron by five. You got all that?”

“Yeah, love you mum!” Celeste said, hugging her again.

There was an awkward silence after Mrs Vallas left. Sennon noticed Vadim subtly pushing his sleeve back down, and briefly glancing down in surprise when the sleeve flopped after the elbow.

“I’m uh…” Marina trailed off, looking unsure. “I’m sorry I didn’t visit in hospital, Vadim.”

“It’s ok,” Vadim replied quietly. “I’m just glad to be out of there.”

“What’ve you been doing since you left?”

“Not much, just trying to write. It’s not going great…”

He pulled out a piece of paper. The writing was smoother, but still smudged.

“Looking good mate,” a smiling voice said.

They all turned around to see Jacob standing over them, a tall lady with white hair behind him. She spoke to him briefly in a harsh, curling language, then kissed him on the cheek and left.

“We’ve been waiting for you!” Marina said.

“Sorry, left a bit late,” Jacob replied. “You alright mate?” He asked Vadim as the two hugged.

“Yeah, you?” Vadim said, slapping him on the back. “Sorry, how’s the shoulder?”

Jacob laughed as he sat down. “Don’t worry about it, you’re the one who lost an arm, man.”

There was an awful moment as everyones’ eyes flickered between Jacob and Vadim’s faces in horror. A strange expression built up on Vadim’s features, and it looked as if even Jacob wondered if he’d pushed it too far.

Then Vadim snorted, and a bright smile broke out over his face. And then they were all laughing, and it was like they’d never been apart.

“That’s true, I suppose,” Vadim said, in between the laughter. “But they couldn’t put it back on again, they put your shoulder back.”

“Well true, but it’s fine. Hot and dry in Greece.”

“I was going to say you look very brown, was that your grandma with you?”

“Yeah, I was staying with her.”

“ _The_ Bethia Harper, imagine that…” Vadim said, still smiling.

“Is your grandma famous, Jacob?” Genevieve asked, shyly.

Jacob started a little, the same old defensiveness in his eyes, and Sennon thought she would have to separate them again. But then they softened a little, and Jacob seemed to catch himself.

“A bit. After what happened with Matthew, she got a bit of attention. Good and bad. And she was an auror before that, so some people knew her like that.”

Genevieve seemed unsure what to say, but she smiled after a moment and said, “she seems really sweet.”

“Yeah, she’s pretty cool.”

“Do you reckon we should get going?” Katia asked. “We need to go to the stationers, and the bookshop, and there’ll be a queue five mile long by now.”

With that, they packed up their bags and left the café.

“I need Gringott’s first,” Jacob said. “Forgot to get money out before I left.”

“Me too, actually,” Vadim said.

“I hate Gringotts,” Marina complained. “I always get motion sick in their carts.”

“You can sit outside with me,” Celeste said. “I don’t need to go in.”

“But your mum told us not to split up!” Genevieve said.

“Alright, well you stay with us then.” Marina said. “It’s not really splitting up then, there were two groups right from the start.”

Genevieve scowled and bit her lip, but she didn’t object any more.

Sennon had forgotten how vast the inside of Gringotts was, the huge, snowy white walls stretching so far into the sky there might well have been no roof, and the long, impossibly long row of goblins behind long, impossibly long counters. They joined the back of the queue of witches and wizards in vividly coloured robes and hats, and it struck Sennon just how dull all the colours seemed in the muggle world, as though as soon as you stepped into the wizarding world you entered a world with the saturation turned up.

The goblin behind the desk glared at her when she reached the front of the queue.

“I’d like to take some money out of vault 1172 please,” she said smartly, refusing to be intimidated by the beady little eyes.

“Key please,” the goblin said sharply.

She handed over her key, which he inspected. He passed her a piece of paper.

“Sign please.”

She signed, and her signature began glow red. The goblin examined it for a moment, then jerked his head to the right. Sennon nodded her thanks, and stood by the door, where Vadim and Jacob were already waiting. The cart was much as she remembered it, as was the ride down to her vault. Vadim’s, luckily, wasn’t far away from hers, number 1189, but when she saw Jacob’s key she started.

“Vault nine?” She said, incredulous.

“Yeah, it’s the family vault,” Jacob said.

“No talking please.” The goblin said sourly.

Vault number nine was, as it turned out, so deep beneath the street that Sennon swore she saw lava running through a channel in the wall. The wind whipped her face as the cart went faster than she’d ever gone on one before, so fast that it was only by the darkening path that she could tell the vaults were getting farther apart. Finally, when the darkness between vaults had become the main theme, the cart screeched to a stop with a force that nearly tore her face off.

The platform where they’d stopped would have been black were it not for the two flickering lanterns. Sennon looked up at the sky, and realised with a start she couldn’t even see the lanterns of the more recent vaults.

“How deep are we?” She asked Jacob.

“I dread to think,” he replied, hopping out of the cart.

As the three of them approached the door, Sennon noticed how much more ornate it was than the others. Snakes adorned the frame, a cauldron was engraved at the top of the door and a large, golden sun was stamped into the door itself. Inside the vault, the flickering torches revealed a frieze of blue enamel and white specks on the floor, and piles of gold, jewels, cloth that shimmered like onion skins.

“This is beautiful,” Sennon said, breathlessly.

Jacob smiled, but it was quick.

“Wait here,” he said, and disappeared into the vault.

Sennon and Vadim hung around the entrance.

“Always wanted to see this place,” Vadim said. “You know they’re descended from Circe right?”

“Wait, _the_ Circe?” Sennon asked, stunned.

“The one and only. Technically they can trace their line right back to the beginning of time, but they decided Circe was enough. Think they’re distantly related to Hecate and Medea too, there’s records in there probably.”

“He never mentioned…”

“I know he’s funny about his family, they’re one of the oldest pure blooded families around, after his brother a lot of people said that it wasn’t any surprise Matthew turned out the way he did.”

“I suppose that makes sense, doesn’t make him his brother though.”

“I know, but still, it’s a tough call.”

Jacob reappeared a moment later, tucking a leather pouch into his satchel. “Let’s go.” He said, relocking the door and leading them back into the cart.

Another exhilarating cart ride later, and they were emerging into the bright, sunlit street.

“Can we go now?” Genevieve asked. “We’ve been waiting ages.”

“Come on then,” Katia said. “Flourish and Blotts first?”

Celeste linked her arm through Sennon’s, and leaned into her. “You and Katia, keep Vadim distracted.”

“What for?”

“We’re going to get that feathered pencil for him, just keep him away.”

Celeste let go of Sennon’s arm, and pushed open the door to Flourish and Blotts. The shop was filled almost to the brim, the books even brighter and more chaotic than Sennon remembered. Vadim tensed, holding his arm, and Sennon rested a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s ok,” she said softly. “We’re all here.”

Katia, meanwhile, bulled a path through the crowds piling around tables.

“BOOKS!” She said, passing the books through the crowd.

“What’s got everyone so excited?” Sennon asked.

“New Gildroy Lockheart book,” Jacob said, rolling his eyes. “My mum’s dead into him.”

“Who?”

“Oh, some wizard explorer guy.”

“The others are upstairs,” Katia said. “Jacob, come help me.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Sennon saw Celeste slip out of the packed shop. She drew Vadim to one of the few empty tables around the shop, surrounded by dusty volumes of various colours and thicknesses. Vadim still looked tense and unhappy about the crowds.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “I don’t know what it is about the crowds, they never used to bother me.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Sennon said softly. “They’re not nice things, are they?”

“I don’t know, Jake seems ok with them, he’s got more reason to dislike them than me.”

“Jacob… Well… he’s different. I mean, he’s… I don’t think he’s as good with them as he makes out but…” Sennon swallowed. She’d known, and been willing, to help Vadim through this, they all had. But now she was here, and it was happening, she didn’t know what to say. “What I mean is, you don’t have to compare yourself to him. You’re you, and if you don’t like crowds, who cares if Jake’s fine or not.”

Vadim smiled weakly, but he looked unconvinced, and Sennon was left wondering if she’d done any good at all.

At that moment, Celeste came through the crowd with Genevieve in tow. Katia and Jacob came down the stairs not long after, and they took their books to the counter. The stationers hadn’t changed much, but there was a new range of colour changing inks, and four new shades in the InkCraft special range. She nudged Celeste’s arm, pointing to the brightly coloured inks, and Celeste grinned back at her.

“I’ll let you use mine if you let me use yours,” Sennon said, and then they were laughing and bickering over which was the prettiest colour.

All too soon it was ten to five, and they had to finish buying their stationery and their potion ingredients and hurry back to the Leaky Cauldron. Jacob’s grandmother and Mrs Vallas were sitting at a small table in the corner, a pot of tea between them.

“You all done, girls?” Mrs Vallas asked.

“Yes Mrs Vallas,” Genevieve replied. “We got everything.”

“Good, come on then,” Mrs Vallas stood up.

“Are you taking all these at once?” Mrs Harper asked. “I can take another couple, Jacob’s coming back with me.”

“If you don’t mind, Bethia,” Mrs Vallas said, hoisting Pegasi back onto her hip.

“Can I come with you Mrs Harper?!” Celeste asked immediately.

“No you cannot,” Mrs Vallas said firmly. “You still have holiday homework to finish and I do not want you leaving for school with your room in that state.”

Mrs Harper laughed, and for a moment she was the image of Jacob. “Next time pet,” she said softly.

“Well I said I’d take Vadim back, would your parents mind if Bethia took you back girls?”

“I don’t think so,” Sennon said.

“Mine wouldn’t,” Katia added.

“Well then, it’s settled.” Mrs Harper stood up. She was taller than she looked sitting down, several inches taller than Mrs Vallas.

“Let’s go then, thank you Tom!”

Tom the barman nodded and bowed low as he opened the door for them.

Sennon hugged Celeste, Vadim and Genevieve goodbye, then she, Katia and Jacob took hold of Mrs Harper’s arm, and then the familiar feeling of being squeezed tightly through a very small tube happened, and when it stopped they were standing outside a small, solid looking house made of granite.

“Thanks Mrs Harper,” Katia said, hugging both Sennon and Jacob goodbye.

“Where is it you live, Sennon?”

“Cambridge,” Sennon replied. “Near the university.”

“Come on then,” Mrs Harper said, taking their hands again. “Let’s go.”

The thin, squeezing tube feeling was back, and then they popped out just across the street from Sennon’s house.

“How do you do that?” Sennon asked.

“Experience,” Mrs Harper smiled.

Sennon would have replied, but she caught sight of Jacob’s pale face.

“Jake? You ok?”

“Sorry,” he said softly.

“Oh dear,” Mrs Harper bent down, putting a hand on his forehead. “Are you feeling queasy?”

“A bit,” he replied. “I’m ok.” He shook off her hand, hugging Sennon. “I’ll see you soon, Sennon.”

“You too,” Sennon replied. Then Mrs Harper took Jacob’s hand, there was a loud pop, and they were both gone.

Sennon crossed the street and unlocked her front door. Mr Cove just coming out of his office as she walked through the hall.

“How was your day love?” He asked her.

“Fine dad,” Sennon replied, smiling.

Mr Cove followed her upstairs, chatting about colour changing ink and how Vadim had been. But when he went downstairs to start on dinner, Sennon’s mind drifted back to Mrs Harper. She had looked so soft and kind with Jacob, with all of them, that it was hard to think she could kill someone.


End file.
